The Apostasy

by Allison Paige

The highly anticipated prequel the Revelation series, The Apostasy is a lush dark romance full of rich lore and deadly entanglements. Ezra's story shows us the power in love and faith and the challenges one must face when holding fast to them.

Ezra Hollen has felt death’s presence her entire life. But, when it comes to her in the form of an angel, she refuses to go down without a fight. It’s not until her scream calls to something darker that she realizes there are things worse than death. And her rescuer is not exactly a savior, as he takes her to the depths of Tartarus. There Ezra learns the truth of who she really is and why she has been targeted.

Valen is an amorini, a hunter, a fallen angel. When Ezra’s scream wrenches him into the mortal world, he is struck by the force of her power no mortal, much less a woman, should be able to wield. A power so dangerous, it just might be what Tartarus needs to force Heaven’s hand. Torn between using her as a weapon and keeping her safe from harm, Valen must weigh the value of Ezra’s life.

As the costs against Ezra rise, she discovers that sometimes the line between good and evil is cut from the same cloth. And, without Valen, there will be no stop to the war and bloodshed that lays on the horizon

Genres: Angels and Demons, Fantasy, Ebooks, Dark Romance

Paperback

First published January 5, 2025

About the author

Allison Paige’s dark fantasy novels are inspired by her nightmares and dreams. Her stories shed light on villains and the darker side of what it takes to make a hero.

Her debut novel After the Bees was derived from the important message that without bees we have no future. This inspired the continuance of Raum and Leah's story that has now become the Revelation Trilogy where each book has an underlying environmental message.

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Allison Paige loves traveling with her camera, particularly in the Irish countryside, and has several ongoing projects that she writes out of her home in Charleston, South Carolina with her corgi. She fills her spare time working with animals of all types and is a fervent advocate of bee, ocean, and wildlife conservation.

Reviews

[abigail • gloomykitty_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

!!!!!!! THIS BOOK !!!!!!!!

What a way to start the year. I need everyone to add this to their 2025 tbr right now. This book was so well written, every aspect of it was so strong. I’ll be thinking about this book for the next week (at least.)

This was a 737 page book that I absolutely ATE up in 2 days. Ezra is a strong, beautiful FMC that you will adore reading through the eyes of. Valen is a MMC you’ll never want to say goodbye to. Their story was intimate, messy and so well rounded. I loved each side character, and loved to hate the villains. I liked that we got the story mostly through Ezra’s POV, but had some chapters that were from others. It was just enough that it felt like you got every side of the plots, but not so much that you got whiplash. To see the side of the ‘fallen’ angels, condemned to Hell is so interesting and to get morally grey (more like black) cupids creates this masterpiece of a story. I will be wilting away until we get book 2😂🏹

PS- although reading the Revelation book series is not needed to grasp the entirety of this story, I absolutely recommend it. As you get some little insights of that story, especially a later chapter that had me tearing up🥹

[Lisa Villarreal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demons? Why hell yes, please.

This book is everything you'd want if you wanted a book about angels and demons. It's not a typical lala story about angels. It's dark and twisted. Allison Paige is an incredible storyteller, and her writing is clever and dynamic.

Just like with her, After The Bees duology, The Apostasy is a compelling story that unfolds with marvelous pacing and nail-biting tension. I love it. I love the dual POV (and a few spare POVs too). I love the characters and their growth within their emotional entanglements. It's funny, but every book I've read from Allison feels like it could be a movie. The stories are so captivating. And that's saying something because the books will always be better. I look forward to reading more from Allison Paige. This was an easy must-read after reading After The Bees. I'm a huge fan.

Expect spice that spices and a twisted but possessive MMC and a fierce MFC.

You don't need to read After The Bees to enjoy this one, but I'd recommend it because it's also really good. I also really enjoyed that you get over 700 pages in this world and it's all great. I couldn't put it down and devoured it in 2 days. It's an emotional one with dark themes. And that ending. Argh. There is nothing like this. 1000% recommend.

[Katherine Shanafelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the first two books, this is everything I could have wanted in a prequel! It does an amazing job of unraveling the events that lead up to After the Bees. It also reveals just enough of the inner workings of Heaven and Hell while leaving you wanting more. I'm excited to see where the story leads us in the future, and I can't wait for what I can only hope will be an exhilarating combination of the the two storylines!

[Hanna Nolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great second book of the year!
I was absolutely privileged to be an ARC reader and it was 100000% worth it.
Allison takes dark and twisted to a whole new level. It’s captivating, it’s gory, it’s enthralling.

It’s a MUST read for anyone that loves gods, demons, angels, and everything in between.

[Farrahlea · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow! both the MCC and the FMC are brilliantly written, I didn't think I would enjoy/ love this but I absolutely did. I absolutely fell in love with valen. page one to the last page I was trapped into an incredible world that Allison has created.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She was stronger than everyone in the room. The sooner she found that out, the more dangerous she would become.”🏹

What to Expect:
🦋 Fallen Angels & Demons
🦋 Feminine Rage
🦋 Enemies to Lovers
🦋 touch HIM & 💀
🦋 Prophecy
🦋 War & Gøre
🦋 Secrets, Lies, & Betrayal
🦋 Lust vs Love

Hero rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Heroine rating: 5/5 ⭐️
S£xual tension rating: 4⭐️
Spicy scenes rating: 4.5⭐️
Spicy scenes frequency: 3.5-4⭐️
Plot rating: 5⭐️
*******************************
Overall rating: 5⭐️

Writing this immediately after finishing it and I don’t even know how I’m typing because I’m so flabbergasted, shocked, and amazed by this book.

I am not typically a fantasy reader, so the book has to be REALLY good to not only get me to read it but hold my attention and WOW did this book do the job 😩

This was my first true feminine rage book and I now understand the hype because this was insane.

While this is book 3 in the series, it’s the first we are seeing of Ezra. I’m actually obsessed with books 1 & 2 so I went into this with high hopes and was NOT disappointed.

Ezra is thrown into a world against her will and has to follow a whole new set of rules thrust upon her while trying to survive and deal with her insane attraction a Fallen Angel.

“Not a soul will touch you unless you will it. And if anyone ever does, I will wipe them from existence.”

There’s so many HOT scenes in this I mean they’re lusty demons so of course there are but it doesn’t overshadow the story. It just makes it better 🔥

“I love that,” he said hoarsely. “I always knew you were a little sinner. Look at the mess you’re making all over my hand.”🥵🥵🥵

This story is so well paced, there’s diverse characters, lots of perfectly placed and ungodly hot spice, as well as an insane plot, with twists and turns.

If a book can make you physically gasp and drop your kindle a couple of times towards the end you KNOW it’s good.

There are true evil characters in this book and truly evil acts, some of it is shocking but the descriptions really pull you in. I now have so many more questions I want to go back and read book 1 & 2 to see what I’ve missed. 👀

The complex relationships between so many characters made this such an interesting read. I truly have a vision in my mind of this world and felt like I was watching a movie.

Cannot wait for the next one!!! 👏🏻

Smut Included:
🖤 Multiple O’s💦
🖤 MF/MM/MFM/MFF scenes
🖤 Public Play
🖤 Chasing

🦋HUGE thank you to the author for the ARC. As always, read responsibly and check Trigger Warnings🦋

Happy reading sweet friends🔥

[Off Service Book Recs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Allison Paige for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this title! I will be suing!

Ezra Hollen has lived her entire life in the shadow of death, watching helplessly as those closest to her die one by one. Alone at last, death finally comes for her in the form of an angel - but Ezra is not ready to let go of life just yet. When her scream brings down a savior upon her, however, Ezra learns that there are fates worse than death, as she is dragged to Tartarus and the dark prophecy she is foretold to fulfill - willing or not. Ezra's savior, Valen, the fallen angel and hunter known as an amorini, believes that the dangerous existence of Ezra - a woman choked with power, never before seen even in the cruel and mysterious pits of Tartarus - may be the key to turning the tides of their war with Heaven. Together, Ezra and Valen must walk the line between good and evil and the currents of blood that run through them to stop (or bring forth?) the war looming on the horizon.

If you weren't emotionally damaged enough by the Revelations series, then boy do I have some good new for you! "The Apostasy", the lush, dark, intoxicating, and deadly prequel to Leah's hell in Montana drags us to the pits of Tartarus to see where it all went wrong before the bees disappeared on Earth. If you've been a fan of, or would like to be a fan of, reading the TRIGGER WARNINGS, pretty angel and demon boys, supporting women's' rights and wrongs, hide and seek, "if bad guy then why hot" but it's basically everyone, prophecy, having your tender heart put in a blender, knowing bad things are coming but letting it happen because it's a canon event, the power of friendship (???), fate being a fickle thing, Valentine's vibes but make them tragic, and being left broken and dangling on a cliffhanger, then I recommend you stock up on the post-V-day chocolate sales and get ready to call a personal injury attorney against Allison Paige because she's got you covered and she's going to rip your heart out.

[Lacey Kintz · Rating 4 out of 5]

👏🏻 I 👏🏻 LOVE 👏🏻 NAMED 👏🏻 CHAPTERS 👏🏻
and this book has seventy-three of them.

it's a lot but.. it's so good.

This book is so well written and I guarantee that you will never get bored as you vacillate between excitement, terror, anguish, lust, and denial.

Ezra, our FMC, is a very likable character with steadfast, very human morals. The story she shares with Valen, our MMC, is toxic at times but rooted in something that I couldn’t help but root for. You know who I just couldn’t get behind? RAUM.

I hadn’t read any of the author’s other books but when we get the first sex scene with him as the main focus instead of our main couple I was so confused. There was really no point to it so I assumed that it was a little bit of fan-service on behalf of a well-loved character who was far too villainous for me to even remotely enjoy in The Apostasy.

I LOVED the world that this series is set in. The concepts are so good and feel excitingly new. I don’t think I can think of another book that was so unique in its crafting of lore. The inspiration drawn from biblically accurate angels, cupids, and the Hells is perfection. I cannot give enough praise for the world development and all of its incredible intricacies.

This book was an emotional roller coaster that had me in the trenches with Ezra. This poor woman is stuck between a rock and a hard place more often than any other. I couldn’t help but to cry a little for her. The female rage is real with this one.

I cannot wait to read the next installment – though I am praying that a certain someone gets taken care of real early on. 😈👊🏻

Him coming out on top at the end really hurts my whole soul.

I am so grateful for the chance to read this as an ARC. It was really something I couldn’t put down until the very end.

[Christina (Bloodycrimsonreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

•ARC review•
Release date: February 14th
Book 1 of the Hymn of the Sun and the Moon

The Apostasy is a thiiiick book. It’s full of intricately woven world building and although there’s undeniably some romance, it’s not at the forefront per se, the plot takes a lot of space which is welcome. Simultaneously, the theme of love is definitely what The Apostasy is about: fighting for it, fighting for what is right. To also find ourselves. There’s simmering, feminine rage. Hurtful wounds and desperate times. Believe me when I say that it’s full of twists and turns and the ending left me on the edge of my seat. The characters are mostly morally grey and should I say untrustworthy, so the entirety of the book was spent walking on eggshells.

I immensely enjoy the world that Allison has created with the Revelation series and this one; it’s ominous, cruel. Especially when The Murder and Baal were thrown into the game. I appreciate the duality of righteous Ezra and then… them all. Being a thick book, as I said before, it can be difficult sometimes to stay invested because of the change of space or the filler bits, but it wasn’t the case with The Apostasy, it’s very well done. The hard work of Allison paid off.

I cannot wait for the second book to come out already, I won’t say more other than it ends on a note where you WANT to know what’s next.

Thank you so much to Allison for the arc! I greatly enjoyed your baby.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 /5
🌶️🌶️/5


☀️Multi pov
🌙Horror vibes
☀️Angels&demons
🌙Feminine rage
☀️Dark romance
🌙Morally grey
☀️Uneasiness

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thrilled that after 18 years of writing I can now present THE APOSTASY. Originally titled MY VALENTINE, this story has wrapped around my heart and tormented my mind with such intensity I truly never thought I'd finish it. This is the one that started it all, despite my other series, Revelation, being published first. It is thanks to Revelation that I was able to complete THE APOSTASY as they are now directly related.

In THE APOSTASY you will find:
- A fantastical dark world of angels, demons, and jarring new creatures
- Murderous cupids
- A morally grey AND black cast
- A romance that I hope haunts you as it has me all of these years
- Greek and Biblical themes
- A powerful woman with a weaponized scream who is full of rage
- Beautiful imagery, delicious spice, and loads of action

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have writing it. I can't wait for you to meet Ezra and the cupid who is set on stealing her heart.

To stay in the know for future works be sure to follow me on my socials (@shewriteswithknives) or sign up for my Newsletter through my website (www.authorallisonpaige.com).

Thank you and happy reading!

[Feriel B · Rating 2 out of 5]

How is this a fantasy book when most of Ezra's pov is thinking about, thirsting over and whinning over Valen.

"Oh he wants me, oh he hates me, oh he's with someone else". GIRL PICK YOURSELF UP

i feel like the only time we got to read about the fantasy aspect of the plot was when it was the other character's povs
Im sorry but this was Valen's book not Ezra's . The focus was mainly on his story with bishop, the fall and the other angels, Ezra was just there for drama

This is also promoted as female rage except all this girl did was whine and cry, the only time she got angry was at Valen and for Valen which is definitely not female rage

Another thing that was SOOO uncessary was the amount of times the characters witnessed other people having sex. Someone(s) was always having sex at all times there was always an orgy somewhere happening.
WHY do i need to read a 2 pages scene about Ezra witnessing 2 men and a woman having sex ? Or a thorough description of someone making out and foreplay ?

[Katie Shoemaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

1000000000/10 would recommend! This was far better than I even expected. The story was well written, original, the characters were interesting, and I was sucked in from chapter 1. I did not want to put this book down! Everything I never knew I needed in a romantasy was in this story. There is very well written spicy scenes throughout the book, but it did not take away from the actual story and they are not long drawn out scenes either! *Be sure to check the trigger warnings* I was very happy with the whole book. Also, for those who love to be surprised, this book was very unpredictable and had so many unexpected twists!!! I am dying to know what happens next and I will be biting my nails waiting for book 2. I cannot say enough about this book and I will definitely make sure to tell everyone I can about it.

Allison Paige, thank you for letting me be one of your ARC readers, I am so glad that I did not miss out on this amazing story!!!

[Nicol | Read With Me Sis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Allison. What gives you the right????

I’m so beyond shook with how much I loved this book. I will say I was a little hesitant to read a fantasy based off of religion being a non religious girlie myself but WOWWWW. This one had me flipping pages yall.

This whole book I had no idea who to trust as every freaking character is a villain and honestly that made it 10xs better. So different from any fantasy I have read recently with the heaven vs hell, angels vs fallen angel (demons). Not your typical fantasy world.

This book was a ROLLERCOASTER in the best way. Ezra and Valen are going to live rent free in my head forever.

I’m giving this a 4.5 star only because the first 15-20% of the book I was a little lost because of all the different terminology used that I had to keep referencing the glossary for. This isnt a bad thing per se because it gives the world more depth but I just had to do some rereading to understand what was happening a few times. Overall I ATE THIS UP and will be crying until book two comes out.

[Deandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

☀️ARC Review🌑

Everyone loves a good feminine rage story!

In this captivating tale, Allison has crafted a world that is nothing short of breathtaking! Her attention to detail in world-building is Remarkable, allowing readers to lose themselves in a universe that feels as real and raw as our own. Character development was phenomenal and Fans of Allison's previous series will be delighted to see familiar faces making appearances throughout the story. It's like meeting old friends in a new setting!

Allison's dedication to her craft is evident on every page. You can feel the heart and soul she has poured into this book, the intricate details woven into this story will keep you entranced until the very end! This book is a testament to her skill as a storyteller and i am so excited to continue this story!

[L 💚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly, the best book I’ve ever read. Wow wow wow.

I’ve never finished a book before and sat in total awe of an author and how magical their brain must be to write something like that.

This book is action from the 2nd or 3rd page, I was on the edge of my seat the entire book. Not to mention how intricately this book was built, the realms, the characters species (if that’s even the right word), the whole world building blew me away. The plot, the PLOT!!!

I can usually predict a book, I can always figure out what’s gonna happen in the next chapter or at the end. But this book… HA, never.

I can’t recommend this book enough, if you haven’t read it already, make this your next read!!

There is 🌶️ in it but the story is SO MUCH MORE.

Now, if you’ll excuse me. I will be in mourning for the foreseeable, mourning that I can never read this book for the first time ever again. Good day.

[Kaitlyn Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Apostasy was dark, twisted, and action packed. I loved how Ezra and the fallen struggled with their beliefs and reality at each new turn. The relationships between the cyn and their history kept me on my toes. I do wish Ezra’s rage was fueled less by jealous and love. Overall her development was relatable despite her circumstances and I’m excited to see it continue as the series progresses.

This book was SPICY. I knew what I was getting into but definitely read the trigger warnings before starting. This book is not for everyone and I appreciate author’s including them so much!

This book was my first dip into Dark Romance/Fantasy and I’m hooked. The world Allison Paige created sucked me in. I was lucky enough to get an ARC and honestly didn’t know about the Revelation series until it was recommended at the end by Kindle. I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is so beautifully written. Allison’s writing is so descriptive. It’s like I can see and smell everything like if I’m truly in the moment with the characters the world building was well written and conveyed, and the characters were also beautifully written and described. You both equally love and hate those evil little babies

And that ending. OMG I need the next book already and this one isn’t even published yet.
There were so many sweet, tender moments and so many intense ones that had me gripped and turning the pages

If you like dark fantasy, angels, and demons, this book is for you

[Shelbi Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I snapped the book shut and tossed it to the side. Males were the same in every universe: sexist and obtuse." ...You're not wrong Ezra! LOL! There were many quotes/thoughts similar to this throughout which made my day.

I was fortunate to be an ARC reader for The Apostasy and it was such an entertaining read! The world-building was dark, vivid, and grotesque, with angels, demons, cyns, and religious themes that kept me hooked. The spice was SPICY and I ate it up.

Ezra was an incredible FMC—moral, strong, and unapologetically fierce. I loved her perspective. Valen, the MMC, was precious despite being morally dark grey. I was fairly angry with him during part of the story, but his behavior was later explained so I loved him all the same.

1000% would recommend The Apostasy to fans of dark fantasy romance. It’s got a strong FMC, great world-building, and plenty of action and spice—just be ready for the ending!

[Landon Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to begin!!!!!! I could not have read a better book to start out the year. This story is filled with every emotion possible. I found myself in a whole different world. You won’t want to put this book down. You will find yourself constantly wanting more. Around every twist and turn, thinking you understand something else changes, a new emotion unfolds, a new, fire burns, a new enemy appears and a new ally found! This is truly a work of pure art! Allison Paige knows how to make you feel and see everything she writes about. Let this be your answer… if you aren’t sure, if you can’t decide to try her book! This the answer!! YESSSS! It’s phenomenal!

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH....... MY....... ASHES!!! I could not put this book down. I devoured it in 3 days. It has been a long time since I've read a book that literally left me sleep deprived for days because I could not stop reading. I loved everything about this story. What I loved even more was that it didn't follow the traditional happy ending plot. The love and brutality that shone through in this story was enough to leave me aching for more, and I can only hope this story continues. A masterpiece. Truly. Read it.

[Christine Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite book by this author so far! I loved it!

This is the prequal to the Revelation series, but I honestly don't think you even need to read the main series first to understand this. But I do recommend reading it at some point! This book was THICK but worth every page. Ezra resonated a lot with me with her struggle with her beliefs. I loved Ezra and Valen, the side characters were also all well rounded and fleshed out.

It was also very interesting seeing how Raum was in this book.

- Demons/Fallen Angels
- Morally Grey Characters
- Biblical Themes

[Zarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

YOU HAVE TO READ THE APOSTASY!!!!

OMG I was absolutely enthralled by this book!!!

The apostasy is a prequel to her other books, and Holy crap am I obsessed now!! The ending will rip your heart out, I could not put this book down!! She may be thick but I read it so fast!

The characters were done so perfect, I absolutely loved some, wanted to kill others while being torn apart by wanting to hate some but still conflicted by liking them, then wanting to kill them again.... ya... it was good.. it's also kinda a romantic tragedy..

YOU. HAVE. TO. READ. THIS.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the type of book that once you start reading you don’t want to stop, that you continue to think about when you are forced to stop, and the type that you put everything else down just so that you can go back to reading. This is the first book I read by Allison Paige and cannot wait to read more. Angels, demons, betrayal, and a fierce FMC….this book has them all.

[Hannah Pike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this without reading 'The Revelation' series and went in completely blind.
I was blown away by the richness of the worldbuilding, characterisation and the romance that was included!
The worldbuilding was easy to follow and the plot was intriguing throughout - will definitely be reading more books from this author!

[Rachelle Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I would have read this when my brain isn't mush from work so I could have devoured it. Regardless, it was still a wild ride. I love Allison Paige's writing. I HAVE to reread the Revelation series again! I wonder how much this series is going to bleed into the other one? I am so scared for Ezra. :'(

[Sam Manucy (chsbibliophile) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A richly dark and imaginative take on true enemies to lovers, Allison Paige weaves an engaging tale that portrays a fresh take on the battles between heaven and hell, good and evil, and the grey areas in between. The Apostasy follows a young woman thrown into the struggles between angels and demons, and trying to retain her faith while coming to terms with the power and heritage of her blood. This is a dark fantasy romance, so definitely check the TW's. I really enjoyed the world building and the tension between the characters and how they grew throughout the story. Paige also wrote some of the most jaw-dropping twists l've read to date and I'm eagerly awaiting the next book (but l'm also a little scared for our MC's).

[Tara Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I didn’t want to put this book down. The feminine rage was unmatched.

[Cherries&Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart was shattered, put together and shattered once more.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF. not through any particular fault of the story, just wasn’t vibing at this moment of summer. Maybe will revisit later.

[wet socks · Rating 3 out of 5]

i just want more raum